How to Get Rid of the Smell of Cat Urine

Cat urine has an extremely powerful, persistent and unpleasant odor. When cats urinate on carpets or rugs, it can be very difficult to remove that offensive cat urine smell. You need to remove the odor and urine stain completely because cats will usually urinate in the same spot again. You can use a commercial cat odor and stain remover to clean your carpet or make your own effective homemade cleaning solutions that will get rid of cat urine smell.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Black light
• Paper towels or old towels
• Plastic bowls
• Water
• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda
• Gloves
• Soft bristle brush
• Liquid dish washing detergent
• 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• Wet or dry vacuum

1. Locate the cat urine stain and smell before cleaning the affected areas. It is easy to spot fresh urine stains, especially on carpets, but it might be difficult when the urine dries. For dried urine, use a black light to find these stains. You can buy a black light online.

2. Remove a fresh stain as quickly as possible. For carpeted areas, place some paper towels over the urine and press down with your feet to absorb the urine. Do not rub the stain because it will only make the stain larger. Repeat the process of blotting the urine with towels to absorb it.

3. Combine equal parts solution of water and vinegar in a bowl. Pour a sufficient amount of the mixture onto the carpet and allow it to penetrate the carpet fibers. Use paper towels to absorb the excess mixture. Alternatively, you can utilize a wet vacuum for this. Allow the affected carpet area to dry completely.

4. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the carpet area. Mix a half cup of hydrogen peroxide with 2 tsps. of liquid detergent in a bowl. Pour this solution over the affected area. Let the mixture dissolve in the baking soda.

5. Take the scrub brush and work the mixture into the stain. Wear the gloves while scrubbing the area.

6. Allow the area to dry thoroughly before removing any dried baking soda and mixture with a vacuum.

7. Get rid of cat urine smell on a mattress by using the same homemade solutions. Remove the mattress from the bed and repeat Steps 2 to 5, then use a hand vacuum to remove any remaining baking soda. Be sure that the mattress dries completely before placing it back on the bed.

Tips & Warnings

• Before using the hydrogen peroxide and detergent mixture, test on a small section of the carpet for color fastness. To remove urine smell from hard surfaces or floors, clean the area with water and cleanser. Then use the water and vinegar solution on these surfaces. Use the vinegar and water mixture to remove cat urine smell from clothing or bedding. Keep the cat litter box clean to maintain your home odor free. Wash the litter box often with an equal part solution of water and vinegar.
• Avoid using ammonia based detergents when cleaning affected carpet areas. Since cat urine contains ammonia, using such a detergent can encourage cats to urinate again on these areas if they sense the ammonia smell.

References

• CatsofAustralia.com
• ApartmentRatings.com
• GetRidofThings.com

Resources

• Information on buying black lights